ALTON Wooteys representative Derek Gardner is Alton’s new mayor.

Mr Gardner was elected unanimously during the annual meeting of Alton Town Council last Wednesday, taking over the reins from Dean Phillips.

He will be joined in his mayoral year by his wife, Cathy, who will take the title of lady mayoress, and his chosen charity for the year is Bushy Leaze Children and Families Centre.

This is not a new role for Mr Gardner, who was mayor in 2013.

Mr Gardner will be supported by Allan Chick, who was voted into post with unanimous support from his fellow councillors and town council staff to enable him to spend the last of his 20 years as a councillor as deputy town mayor.

Overwhelmed by the gesture of support, reinforced as councillors and staff stood to applaud him, Mr Chick said he was humbled and delighted to be accepting the opportunity to bow out in style.

A former district councillor, Mr Chick has served as deputy chairman to East Hampshire District Council and twice as mayor of Alton.

He agreed with Mr Gardner that they would make “a good team” during the next mayoral year.

Matthew Bayliss was returned as town council leader, and Alex Hunt as deputy leader.

This year, for the first time, the mayor will have two cadets to accompany him in some of his civic duties, as a way of encouraging younger people to take an interest in local government.

Sergeant Daniel Leach and Corporal Jordan Horseman are both members of 613 (Alton) RAF Air Cadets.

On passing on his chain of office to Mr Gardner, Mr Phillips said he had enjoyed his term representing the town and its interests, albeit during a somewhat rocky year when feelings had run high and Alton Town Council often found itself “piggy in the middle” between the district council and the public.

He had also moved away from tradition and was pleased with the response to his civic reception, which took the form of a garden party in the Public Gardens which was open to the community as a whole, and his decision to award his mayor’s charity money to 11 community champions, who attended the meeting to collect their cheques.

Mr Phillips also presented Samantha Brown with a bouquet of flowers for her role as the mayor’s personal assistant throughout his term of office and will treat the town council staff to afternoon tea at the Farnham House Hotel as a thank you.